1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inflatable play structure for use in connection with educational play. The inflatable play structure has particular utility in connection with educational play regarding piece-by-piece construction similar to the building of a conventional log cabin or house.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Inflatable play structures are desirable for amusement and educational play.
The use of inflatable play structures is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,185 to Murphy discloses an inflatable enclosure for amusement purposes. However, the Murphy ""185 patent does not provide for different configurations of enclosures to be built, and has the further drawback of not providing for educational play regarding piece by piece construction similar to the building of a conventional log cabin or house.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,797 to Murphy discloses an inflatable enclosure for amusement purposes. However, the Murphy ""797 patent does not provide for different configurations of enclosures to be built, and has the further drawback of not providing for educational play regarding piece by piece construction similar to the building of a conventional log cabin or house.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,357 to Rubio et al. discloses an interactive inflatable toy. However, the Rubio ""357 patent does not provide for different configurations of inflatable toys to be built, and additionally does not provide for educational play regarding piece by piece construction similar to the building of a conventional log cabin or house.
Similarly, U.S. Des. Pat. No. 389,217 to Rubio et al. discloses an interactive inflatable toy. However, the Rubio ""217 patent does not provide for different configurations of inflatable toys to be built, and additionally does not provide for educational regarding piece by piece construction similar to the building of a conventional log cabin or house.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,634 to Jones et al. discloses a construction set that allows modular piece by piece construction. However, the Jones ""634 patent requires all pieces to be connected at their ends, and therefore can not provide for the construction of a variety of configurations of play structures with windows, doors, or roofs.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,008,938 to Suehle et al. discloses an inflatable portable projection screen. However, the Suehle ""938 patent does not provide for different configurations of inflatable structures to be built, and is not directed toward educational play.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an inflatable play structure that allows educational play regarding piece-by-piece construction similar to the building of a conventional log cabin or house. The Jones ""634 patent makes no provision for play structures with windows, doors, or roofs.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved inflatable play structure that can be used for educational play regarding piece-by-piece construction similar to the building of a conventional log cabin or house. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the inflatable play structure according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of educational play regarding piece by piece construction similar to the building of a conventional log cabin or house.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of inflatable play structures now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved inflatable play structure, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved inflatable play structure and method which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in an inflatable play structure which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises an inflatable play structure comprising a plurality of inflatable tubular elements, a plurality of wall brackets, a roof bracket, and a tent-shaped roof element.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention comprises an inflatable play structure comprising a plurality of inflatable tubular elements, each tubular element comprising an elongated flexible wall forming an enclosed gas chamber with a self sealing nozzle and a plurality of external attachments, a plurality of wall brackets, each wall bracket comprising a base member and an upwardly extending pole, a roof bracket comprising a peak member connected to two base members by poles, and a tent-shaped roof element.
In another embodiment, the present invention comprises the use of a child""s toy for forming buildings and the like comprising a series of brackets having a base member and an upwardly extending pole for the stacking of inflatable tubes held together by attachments formed by hook and loop fasteners positioned about the tube members, such that walls are formed by the system of tubes and brackets, and further comprising a specialized bracket for forming a roof structure or the like, covered by a tent-shaped fabric or plastic tarp.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The invention may also include flat or pitched roofs, awnings, inflatable furniture, and multiple windows and doorways. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved inflatable play structure that has all of the advantages of the prior art inflatable play structures and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved inflatable play structure that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved inflatable play structure that has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such inflatable play structure economically available to the buying public.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new inflatable play structure that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable play structure for amusement and educational play. This allows the development of creativity and coordination during play activities.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable play structure for educational play regarding piece by piece construction similar to the building of a conventional log cabin or house. This makes it possible to learn construction techniques and to build a wide variety of different structures during play.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of educational play using an inflatable play structure comprising a plurality of inflatable tubular elements, a plurality of wall brackets, a roof bracket, and a tent-shaped roof element.